Grass and weed cutter



May 14 N. E. BROOKE lGfRAs's AND wEED 'CUTTER' Filed July 14, 1944 'li 1lll/111111111111111111117 n'nm eUNiTEpflv, Y

i rimasi NormanE. Brooke? Washingtonvjn' C." Application yJuly 14, 1944!,"Serial` 544,975 z v v i c claims. (01.30%31851 I y This invention relates toweed cutting imple-A ments and pertains vparticularly to implements of the class comprisingfa head and a handle at-i tached thereto, tobe swung in a manner-similar toa golfclub.

A'particular object of thet present invention is to provide :a grass and weed cuttingimplement of the above described class, wherein the cutting blader forms a separable unit AfromA a supporting or carrying guard member and wherein, such guard member is pressed or shaped from a single sheetof material integrally with a shank -portion which is formed to have a handle secured thereto, the design and construction of the `guard being such that it may be -forrnedrig idly =,from a .relatively light or thin piece A'of material; f

Another object ofi the invention-'isitoliprovide a weed and grass cutter. of thev character stated,

wherein the guard associatedawithathe cutting blade is formed in .agnovel manneriwherebylthe edges of the'blade will beheld inv clos'econtact with protecting guard ngers -forming a: part'bf the guard, when the blade and guard Aarefsecured together. f i

Still another object of the invention-iste provide a weed and vgrass cutter'of the 'character stated, comprising a relatively:long-guard'mem-k ber having guard teeth formedaalongE each longitudinal edge and pressed or shaped integrally with an obliquely extending` shank `at one end .which is formed to receive a handle', andafutl ting made adapted 't0-positioniengtnwisef the guard to be secured theretoA either against fthe upper side or against the lower'side a's'mayb'e found most'desirable; v-

AOther objects and 'advantages of the invention will become apparent 'as the description of the same vproceeds andr theE invention ibc2? best understood from a ccnsiderationof thefoll'owing detailed description taken with `the vaccompanying drawing forming `a partei the Spfcaf tion, with the understanding, however', that vthe invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modied so long as such changes or modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the implement of the present invention, a portion of the blade being broken away. V

Figure 2 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-'2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view.

AFigurei is VVazview Vin. perspective of a modified form. of the implement, partlyqbroken away.y

-Figure 51 isi-.a transverse Asection on theline 57-.5 of Figurel.. i

Figure-.6 is a view but 4showing the blade positioned upon the underside ofthe guard. i i y Referring now more particularly to the vdrawing and'especially to IFigures 1 to 3, it will-be seen that the. present implement consists essentially oftwo principal parts which comprise a blade which generally designated It)Y andy a guard platey whi'chlsis generally` designated I I.

..-The guard'gplatellisncut or shapedl from Aa single piecelof materialo'fsuitable weight and length and has a portion of one end bent to form angle with respect .thereto and also substantially semi-'circuiar shank i2, eoi which Vis` directediorwardly and is l,design-ed't 4Vrec'eii'fe an 'endfrofjK avghandle I3. 'Ijhis handle'isfsecure'dto'theshank i2 by means rvof'thenut, d bolt assembly Mas shown...

f In 'accordance with the present invention, .the guard'plate I I is pressed to' have the downwardly projectinglongitudinally extending rib i5 which ist formedonthe longitudinal center of the plate and'tliisv` rib is continued around' the angle between- `'thefpl'atefand. the shank to extend part way' througiijthe length' of vthe' shank as indi- 'cated'""air'ISI!*"fz j l *By forming"'the`f down-pressed guard Vribj I5 uponthe longitudinal center Yof the' guard plate, the'plate is -divided longitudinally into the two 'side or' wing'portions,` I'1 `and these portions eX- tend at a slight inclination upwardly from vthe rib"as'shown'in'FigureZ. f

The longitudinal edgesofthe two portions ll are 'provided `with the outwardly directed guard fingersll S-'Which iingers'` are engaged by the sharpened edges' I9 ofthe cutting blade It, between their'endsfv I 4Thus it will be-seentha't the edges of the blade vIl)extendoutwardly beyond the' edge portions of the guard plate II lying between the fingers I8 so that the portions of the cutting blade edges lying over the spaces between the fingers are free for engagement with the stalks oi grasses and weeds.

The cutting blade I0 is secured to the top of the guard plate .by nut and bolt assemblies 20 as shown, the bolt of each assembly extending through the rib I5. Thus it will be seen that the cutting plate engages the guard plate only at the cutting edges and, since the guard plate materal would have a degree of resiliency, when corresponding to Figure 5,'

the securing assemblies 20 are drawn up tightly the guard plate will be centrally flexed so as to bring the edges of the cutting blade into firm contact with the ngers I8.

The down-pressed rib I5 of the guard plate serves the double function of strengthening or stiifening the plate and of providing a foot for the plate which serves to maintain the plate slightly spaced above the ground when the device is in use so that the possibility of driving the ngers against the ground is not so great as would be the case if the guard plate were perfectly flat.

The cutting blade l is sharpenedby .being beveled upon one side only, the bevel being upon the upper side when the the guard plate as shown in Figure 2 and consequently, no space is left .between the cutting edge and the fingers against which they bear.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, the guard plate which is generally designated 2| is also formed from a single piece of material with the shank portion 22 which extends upwardly at an oblique angle from one end of the guard plate and which is transversely curved as shown to receive a handle. This guard plate 2| is also provided along each of its two longitudinal edges with the guard lingers 23, the same being suitably spaced apart. However, the plate 2| is made flat and without the central longitudinal rib, as shown in Figure 4, which construction allows for the application of the cutting blade which is generally designated 24, to either the top side of the guard plate or to the under or bottom side thereof as may be found most desirable. Y

The cutting blade 24 is of the same construetion as the blade shown in the preceding figures and designated I0 and when in working position upon either the top or the under side of the guard plate 2|, the blade may be positioned with the bevel 25 of the edges, lying away from the guard plate or near the same as may be found most desirable.

As will, of course, =be readily understood if the cutting yblade is placed against the guard plate 2| with the bevel of each cutting edge adjacent to the guard plate, the edges will .be spaced from the fingers 23 so that while possibly some advantage in cutting action may be obtainedthey will be more likely to be damaged and blunted than would be the case if the blade were placed with the bevel away from the guard plate as shown in Figure 4.

As will be seen from the foregoing, the construction of the implement in both of its embodiments is such that the guard plate and shank may be formed of relatively light metal but will be strengthened and made rigid in the one case by the provision of the integral pressed rib I5 and in the other case by the close contact of the cutting blade with the guard plate and the manblade is in position on ner of securing these two elements iirmly together by the nut and bolt assemblies 25.

I. claim:

1. A cutting implement of the character stated. comprising a. relatively long plate having a portion of one end bent to extend at an angle to provide a. shank having a substantially semicircular cross section for the reception of a handle, said plate having teeth formed along each of its longitudinal edges, and a cutting blade of a length substantially equal to the length of the plate and designed to be positioned against a side of the plate, the cutting blade having its two longitudinal edges sharpened, the over-al1 width of the cutting Iblade being greater than the distance between. the side edges of the plate between the teeth, and means for detachably securing the blade and plate together.

2. A cutting implement as set forth in claim l.

in which said cutting blade has its longitudinal edges sharpened by a single bevel formed upon one side of the blade, the bevels of the two edges being upon the same side of the blade, and the blade being adapted to be positioned against the plate in either of two positions in which the bevelsare adjacent to or away from the plate.

3. A cutting implement of the character stated in claim 1, in which said guard plate is pressed to lhave a central longitudinally extending rib projecting downwardly from the under side thereof.

1 4. A cutting implement of the character stated in claim 1, in which the guard plate is pressed to have a central longitudinally extending rib projecting downwardly from the under side thereof and said rib being continued into and part-wayv through the lengthcf the shank.

5. A cutting-implement as set forth in claim 1, in which theguard plate is centrally longitudinally bent to provide two side portions, said side portions being disposed at a slight upward inclination, the cutting blade contacting the guard plate only adjacent the sharpened edges, the said inclined portions functioning as a resilient means for lmaintaining a tight contact between the blade and guard plate when the bladev and plate are secured together.

6. A cutting implement of the character stated, comprising a relatively long nat guard plate having e, portion of one end bent to provide an obliquely extending shank, the shank being trans.

versely arcuate to receive a handle, the guard plate having a series'of teeth formed along each longitudinal edge, a cutting blade of a length substantially equal to that of thev guard Iplate and designed to be positioned against either the top or the bottom side of the guard plate, the longitudinal edges of the blade being sharpened and the over-all Width of the blade being slightly greater than the width of the guard plate between the teeth, and means for securing the blade to and flatagainst a side of the guard plate.

NORMAN E. BROOKE. 

